Most cars and trucks and other vehicles today utilize watercooled internal combustion engines. The cooling systems typically surround the combustion portions of the engine. If the engine has a cracked head, cracked block or has a faulty head gasket, then the pressure built up in the combustion chamber will leak into the cooling jacket and will create pressure in the for of bubbles in the water in the cooling system when the engine is operating. Since pressures in the combustion chamber are many times the normal (25-30 psi) pressures under which most cooling systems operate, the added pressure will force the engine coolant out of the coolant overflow pipe since the radiator cap cannot hold the tremendous added pressure in the cooling system. This coolant loss will eventually cause the engine to overheat.
Another serious problem brought on by undetected and uncorrected combustion pressure leaks is that water will eventually begin to pass into the combustion chamber from the water jacket. At that time, the water and anti-freeze coolant will mix with the engine oil lubricating the combustion compartment and parts. This degradation in the lubrication system will destroy rod bearings, main bearings, cam bearings, the crankshaft cylinder walls and pistons of an engine. The obvious dire consequences of this would be the total destruction of the engine.
Leak detection devices have been created, but are generally expensive and complicated to use. Generally, these devices utilize the principle that leaks in the combustion chamber or cooling system can be determined by pressurizing the cooling system and applying a pressure guage to monitor the pressure leaks. An example of this type of device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,100, the Branchini Patent. The Branchini system is a comprehensive coolant system tester. The instant device uses the same principle, i.e. a leak in the head, block or gaskets will allow pressure flow between the cooling jacket and the combustion chamber. However, unlike other devices, our invention detects combustion pressure leaking into the cooling system.